SCA Questions and Congrats to 2015

Colleges and Universities A-Z University of Southern California
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<p>Congratulations to admitted members of the class of 2015! I'm a freshman film production major. I know you all probably have some questions about SC - and I know there are many threads on this already - but I think it helps to hear from someone actually in the university rather than parents. (Not that the parents on these forums aren't knowledgeable, but there is certainly a difference between attending a university and knowing a lot about a university...)</p>

<p>Also, I'll be an Orientation Advisor this coming summer - so for those of you who choose SC, I'll literally see you later!</p>

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<p>I’m kind of confused, wondering if anybody could clear this up for me: how do you all know if you’re accepted? Is it that you had to have opened up that one web page earlier today?</p>

<p>Thanks for anyone who can clarify!</p>

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<p>well i found out today when i got the acceptance package/letter with notification of being a scholarship finalist.</p>

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<p>Yeah, we received info in the mail.</p>

<p>anonymity, I’m sure I’ll think of more questions later, but to get you started:
Why did you choose USC? What other schools were you strongly considering, if any? Has it lived up to your expectations? In what areas has it exceeded them, and where is it lacking?</p>

<p>Thanks!</p>

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<p>@Quomodo - I chose USC for a variety of reasons. Certainly receiving a merit scholarship contributed to my final decision, but it was not the determining factor for me. I was also accepted to the Thematic Option program (which is USC’s Honors Program that provides an alternative to the Core Curriculum… I can elaborate more if you like, but I’m sure you’ll hear a lot about it at Explore) and I wanted the academic challenge that said program provides. In addition, since I was accepted to SCA, there’s really not a better school for my major. I was also accepting to Tisch at NYU (which was my number one for a long time), UCLA, UMich, Notre Dame, Boston College, and UCSD. To be completely honest, I applied to USC on a whim. I always assumed I would end up at NYU, but when it came down to making the decision, USC suited me really well. </p>

<p>In most ways USC has exceeded my expectations - my professors have been really spectacular, the opportunities the film school provides are unparalleled, and I love the whole atmosphere of the campus. Plus, living in LA just allows a lot of cultural opportunities that you won’t find in a non-urban environment. USC also has a program called Visions & Voices that offers a number of awesome cultural events for free (you can check it out at [Visions</a> and Voices: The Arts and Humanities Initiative](<a href=“http://www.usc.edu/dept/pubrel/visionsandvoices/]Visions”>http://www.usc.edu/dept/pubrel/visionsandvoices/)). Within a couple of months of going to SC, I saw President Obama, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, and Paul Thomas Anderson speak. Something that might sound silly is the weather - while my east coast college friends are complaining about having to trudge to class in feet of snow, I’m enjoying tanning on McCarthy Quad in January. You might say you like seasons, but trust me - eternal sunshine is nothing to complain about. </p>

<p>Where is it lacking? Sometimes the Greek life seems a little too prevalent on campus - yes, they only make up about a quarter of the student population, but a lot of the social scene is concentrated on the Row. Of course there are enjoyable alternatives to Greek life, but it is easy to get fed up with it. As someone who did not go to a very spirited high school, it took a while to get used to the fervent nature of Trojan fans - obviously there’s no lack of spirit at SC, but the passion for football and the USC-UCLA rivalry is really intense! My final note would be on the location - despite the urban/downtown environment being labeled as “really ghetto” by lots of people who talk about USC, I’ve never felt unsafe on campus (or even within a couple of blocks). However, with pretty constant sirens and city noise, we definitely get the “soundtrack” of urban life. (You get used to it after a couple of days, but when you’re trying to sleep the sirens can be annoying). </p>

<p>@Norcalimom - I was in a strange situation where I was a fall admit for USC, but technically a spring admit for SCA. As it worked out, it made no difference since upon getting to SC in the fall my major was immediately changed and I took the regular cinema course that freshman production students take. So no, by standard definition I was not a spring admit. I do however know several spring admits - many took courses at Santa Monica College and would literally be at SC every weekend. Some chose to live right next to school starting in the fall so they could feel involved in student life. And some chose to travel or do other interesting things with their fall semester. </p>

<p>I got a 2270 on my SAT I (800CR/770W/700M), a 720 on my Lit SAT II and a 710 on my US History SAT II (had to look at previous posts to remember the last two!) My unweighted GPA was a 3.79. Feel free to ask any more specific stats.</p>

<p>I think I described what I like and dislike above, but if there’s any specific aspects you’re curious about, feel free to ask! </p>

<p>(Wow, that was a lot… my apologies!)</p>

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<p>can you inform any important information about leventhal and if applying to leventhal will increase/decrease my chances to a different major? and are there any differences between marshall and leventhal? thanks for the help.</p>

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<p>@boston - I’m not going to pretend I know specifics about this as I’m not an admissions officer. I do have a floormate in Leventhal and I would describe it as a school within Marshall. ([USC</a> Marshall Leventhal School of Accounting](<a href=“Home - USC Marshall”>Leventhal School of Accounting (ACCT) Department - USC Marshall)). Sorry I can’t be more helpful, but since I’m a film student… I really no nothing about Leventhal.</p>

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<p>Thanks anonymityftw! I’m actually pretty interested in the Thematic Option, and elaboration would be nice! Also I’m wondering if you could expand a bit more on the social environment–just how big is partying? What specifically about the Greeks is a negative, and how do they interact with other students or affect the social environment? How have you met most of your friends–class, in your hall, through clubs?</p>

<p>Thanks haha and sorry for all the questions! And no need to apologize for your super-long post–the more information the better.</p>

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<p>(Incredibly speedy reply)
In my experience Thematic Option has been beneficial because of the small size of the classes, the expertise and engagement of the professors, and the general intellectual vigor of my TO classmates. Not to say that other SC students are not intellectually engaged, it is just that on average I’ve found my TO classes to be more stimulating than the GEs I’ve taken. The TO program replaces some of the required courses (i.e. the two required writing courses) with Honors Level courses. For instance instead of Writing 140, TO students take Core 111. If you have specific questions let me know.</p>

<p>In terms of partying, it’s really however much you want. If you have no interest in it then you can definitely find friends who share the same lack of interest. About half of my friends never drink and about half of my friends go out a few times a week. I do not think that the Greeks are negative, in fact I think for some people it is a really good social option. I have nothing against people involved in Greek life. It is just as someone who is not in Greek life, the monotony of going to the Row for parties can get old. For the most part the students in Greek life I’ve met interact like anyone else. It’s not like they’ll judge you if you’re not Greek (again, this is in general - I’m sure there are some elitist Greeks just like there are some elitist engineers or elitist History majors. There’s going to be a few judgmental people everywhere). All in all, if you want to go Greek I’m sure it’ll be an awesome experience. If you don’t want to, it really doesn’t make a difference. If you’re a girl it will still be easy for you go to parties at the Row and if you’re a guy, you can always find a party elsewhere. (As a general rule, non-Greek guys are not allowed into the parties on the Row). And again, if you have zero interest in partying, it’s not like there are no social options for you. A surprising number of people I know do not drink or have any interest in drinking. I personally have never felt pressure to party.</p>

<p>I’ve met some of my friends through classes, but the majority of them through living in my dorm.</p>

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<p>No problem at all! The college decision process was extremely difficult for me so I’m happy to assist the process however I can.</p>

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<p>Hi @anonymity - regarding internships for film students, how often do students work at internships in a week? How do they fit it into their course schedule? Do students who don’t have their own cars lose out on internships?</p>

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<p>Hey all! I’m also a film student at USC (current sophomore), but I’m in the Writing for Screen and Television program. I stumbled upon this thread and thought I’d help with any questions or offer a different perspective from anonymity (or help!), so for all you writers out there… fire away!
I’m also a scholarship winner, and I’ll be hosting Explore students, as well, so I might see you all around in the next few weeks!</p>

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<p>Oh, and a bit about me:</p>

<p>Even though I’m from the Los Angeles area (aka I was around a lot of film-related events and whatnot) and grew up with a line of Trojan alums, I didn’t apply anywhere else for film. I’m actually a very math-and-science type person, so my second choice school was Berkeley for EE/CS, and I almost went there. However, the film school (which I also applied to on a whim a day or two before it was due - not recommended!) is a remarkable department with no school coming close to it. Apologies if I’m hating on NYU or UCLA fans, but I can describe why if anyone is curious. In the end, the financial aid and resources available to me as a film student made me choose to come here instead of go to Berkeley, and I’ve loved it ever since!</p>

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<p>Thank you both for offering to help out. I have a question about SCA. Do either of you feel that you might get “lost” in the shuffle of all the other students? By that I mean, are there a few superstars or more aggressive among you that might consume more of the resources, ie professor time, equipment, etc. Do you feel each student gets a somewhat equal (because each student is different and it’s primarily up to them to learn all they can and favoritism will exist everywhere) experience? Do the upperclassmen rule the program? I’ve heard that’s the case at UCLA, but was wondering about USC.</p>

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<p>I think SCA is really like any other major in the sense that it is what you make it. As a freshman, I have yet to see a cut-throat competitiveness or “superstars.” I do know that once our production sequence begins, it mimics a more real world scenario where people are selected for certain roles. But for the most part, all of my fellow film majors and I are very supportive of each other, interested in working on projects together, and openly discuss ideas. In terms of upperclassmen “ruling” - they are the ones in the production sequence, so they definitely have more access to equipment and such, but SCA is incredibly supportive of all its students. In every situation in encountering SCA, I have felt that they want us all to succeed and are very interested in assisting us. They offer weekly workshops, have tons of screenings, speakers, etc. which are open to all SCA students. I do not feel lost in the shuffle. I feel like it is my responsibility to use SCA as a resource - and a really incredible resource it is.</p>

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<p>@bigmamabear - there are very few freshman I know with film related internships. However, there is a whole job board for SCA students with a huge number of internships listed. Generally these internships compensate for travel, so while I suppose you could take public transportation, it is relatively inconvenient in LA. I do not think people without cars will typically be discriminated against, however in my opinion it would be difficult to have an internship and not have a car, simply because LA is a car-based city. I do not have a car and I know, come internship time, that will prove cumbersome. </p>

<p>My understanding is (and brooksey129, please correct me if I’m wrong) that these internships vary a lot by hour and you fit it to your schedule. Many of them are for credit. Also, a lot of internships require a student to be of a certain-level standing in college - in my research experience, many ask for juniors and older.</p>

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<p>So I have a question… I got an acceptance letter on the 25th, and it was the whole packet and everything. But there was no mention of anything to do with a scholarship. Does that mean that I am admitted, but do not qualify for the scholarships?</p>

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<p>By the way, I applied to the College of Letters, Arts, and Sciences…</p>

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<p>That’s great information, @anonimity. D did do a search on-line and saw that some internships that she’d be interested in required junior/senior standing.</p>

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<p>I have been admitted to the Interactive Media program, and I was just curious if it would be possible to get a minor in International Relations. Does anybody know how easy/difficult it is to minor/double major across schools?</p>